I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 19

Chapter 19: Qingbao Needs to Eat

Chu Qing did not claim that red envelope.

He’d have to be crazy to claim it.

Huo Li: Qingbao, if you don’t claim it, it won’t be returned to me, and I won’t have money for food tomorrow.

Chu Qing: The system will return it after twenty-four hours.

Thank you, advanced technology. Thank you, WeChat system.

Huo Li: It won’t be twenty-four hours by lunchtime tomorrow. I’ll starve to death before then.

Chu Qing: …

So Chu Qing, with a grand wave of his hand, sent another one-hundred-yuan red envelope to his canary.

The next second, another password-protected red envelope was sent back.

—Man, you have angered me.

Chu Qing: “…”

Undeterred, Chu Qing sent another red envelope.

He copied Huo Li and used a password-protected one.

—Good night, don’t talk.

And he added—

Chu Qing: If you send another one, it’ll be my turn to have no money for lunch tomorrow… I won’t be able to eat at the cafeteria.

Huo Li: “…”

Why was Chu Qing so smart tonight?

Had he pushed the rabbit too hard? Had it kicked back?

Huo Li rubbed his chin, feeling a sense of… his own son finally growing up.

So Huo Li obediently accepted it.

“Good night, don’t talk,” Huo Li said with a laugh.

It was just an ordinary phrase, but in the quiet night, in the quiet dormitory, listening to it close to his ear, it sounded like a lover’s most gentle and teasing words. A “good night” from an older man, carrying the weight of years, was reassuring to hear.

As if he had been electrocuted, Chu Qing quickly moved the phone away from his ear.

Clutching his phone, Chu Qing took his medicine, curled up in his blanket, and fell asleep.

Good night… Mr. Huo.

— — — —

The next day was the last two days before the competition, and also the last team-building activity. The rest of the time would be for the contestants to prepare on their own.

The final team-building activity was still cooking together. Even though they were all male contestants, every time they gathered to cook, the trending topics would explode. Besides Chu Qing’s complicated love triangle, there were also disputes and undercurrents among the others, which the audience loved to see.

Jiao Changxu and Li Tian were with Chu Qing again today, but ever since the “Jiao Changxu & Li Tian x Group Pet Chu Qing” ship exploded online, the more attentive they were, the more they were actively clearing Chu Qing’s name, and it was also interpreted as them fighting over him and having internal strife within their group. Because of this, both of them were a little more restrained today.

But the basic attentiveness was still there. After all, Jiao Changxu wanted to push the ship, and as for Li Tian…

Chu Qing didn’t know what Li Tian was up to. If you hate me, why do you still get close to me? Isn’t it annoying?

Could it be to play the victim?

Just as Chu Qing had this thought, while Jiao Changxu was helping the two of them move things, Li Tian pulled Chu Qing to a corner, away from the camera, and said with a sad face, “I’m sorry…

…

After guiding Li Tian, it was already night. Li Tian said he wanted to return the favor and see how Chu Qing’s practice was going. Chu Qing politely declined, saying he needed to rest.

Li Tian had already been clinging to him for a day and had no grounds to stay, so he left first.

“Our Teacher Chu is indeed endlessly charming, and a good teacher too,” Huo Li said, leaning against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow long after the filming had ended. “The silkworm’s thread ends only with death; the candle turns to ash before its tears run dry.”

[Translator’s Notes:“The silkworm’s thread ends only with death; the candle turns to ash before its tears run dry.”: This is a famous line from a Tang Dynasty poem by Li Shangyin. It speaks of selfless dedication and devotion until the very end.]

Chu Qing: “…”

Pfft.

Huo Li shook his head. “I should probably be on guard at all times. Otherwise, if I’m not careful, my sponsor will be snatched away.”

“Nonsense…” Chu Qing muttered.

“Why were you with Li Tian today?” Huo Li handed the bento box in his hand to Chu Qing, frowning. “Was he pestering you?”

Chu Qing took the bento box and shook his head.

Huo Li frowned and sat down next to Chu Qing.

Chu Qing subconsciously shrank back.

Huo Li was a little dissatisfied. “What are you hiding from?”

Chu Qing held the bento box and said nothing.

“Qingbao…” Huo Li sighed and said gently, “I was wrong last night. Don’t be afraid, I won’t act recklessly. You’re my sponsor. Angering you does me no good. I have to listen to you, right?”

“Mmm…” Chu Qing paused, then said, “I know you were doing it for my own good last night… Thank you.”

“Silly Qingbao, eat.” Huo Li pointed to the bento box that Chu Qing had been holding but not eating.

Chu Qing paused, not speaking.

“Qingbao… you can’t keep not eating like this, and you don’t move around much either.” Huo Li pinched Chu Qing’s wrist. “Look at you, how skinny have you become? You have no strength at all. How are you going to work like this?”

There were still outdoor activities after this show. If Chu Qing were to go on tour or participate in other programs in the future, wouldn’t he struggle?

Chu Qing lowered his head, like a child being scolded.

“Eat. Be good.”

Chu Qing had no choice but to slowly put the spoon in his mouth and chew slowly.

Huo Li was helpless against him, thinking that as long as he ate something, it was fine.

Seeing Chu Qing selectively eating the rice and vegetables, skipping the meat, Huo Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Qingbao, you’re my sponsor.”

“Hmm…?”

“You have to protect me,” Huo Li said, waving his hand. “The sponsor has to protect the canary.”

“…” An image of Huo Li’s muscles and his almost inhuman strength flashed through Chu Qing’s mind.

Steeling himself, Chu Qing said, “…I’ll try my best.”

“Good. Then first, you have to protect yourself.”

“…?”

Huo Li crossed his arms and looked at Chu Qing. “Qingbao, don’t be a pushover that anyone can knead, understand?”

Chu Qing was stunned.

Huo Li said seriously, “I know you might not know how, or you might find it troublesome, or you might think it’s unnecessary. But Qingbao… protect yourself, okay?”

Chu Qing stared blankly, biting his spoon.

“I’m not a pushover,” Huo Li said. “I hope you aren’t either.”

Huo Li’s words were a bit stern. Even though his expression was normal, his aura naturally carried a certain majesty and pressure.

Chu Qing stared blankly at Huo Li and subconsciously agreed, “Okay…”

Afterward, Chu Qing lowered his eyes, a little dejected.

Was Huo Li disgusted with him for being too weak, dissatisfied with his compromises today?

But to Chu Qing, it was just a very, very small thing.

Sensing Chu Qing’s low spirits, Huo Li smiled, took Chu Qing’s hand that was holding the bento box, and squeezed it through the glove. “I just don’t want you to be hurt by others,” he said in a low voice. “It would break my heart.”

A good conversation had turned into teasing again. Chu Qing’s body stiffened.

But Huo Li knew his limits and quickly sat up straight.

After Chu Qing had tried very hard and finally managed to eat half of it, he really couldn’t eat anymore and put down the bento box.

Huo Li looked at him helplessly.

“…”

“Oh, my Qingbao…” Huo Li was truly at a loss. He couldn’t hold back anymore and opened his arms to hug Chu Qing.

Chu Qing was startled and didn’t dare to move.

“What am I going to do with you?” Huo Li’s voice was hoarse.

“…?”

“I can’t bear to see you being bullied,” Huo Li said, patting Chu Qing’s back gently.

It was a gentle hug, without any lust.

“I’ve always been fine,” Chu Qing said helplessly. “No one is bullying me. Mr. Huo is overthinking things.”

“Mmm.”

Chu Qing asked tentatively, “How about… I eat more next time?”

Huo Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Okay, eat more.”

After a pause, Chu Qing still said, “I won’t do it again, next time.”

There were many things he didn’t understand, but he would learn.

A small promise.

“Good.”

…

The next day, the contestants made their final preparations and sprints in their rooms.

The day after that, the second round of the competition began.

The audience was packed, and the band was all set on stage.

The contestants sat in the waiting area, and in the front row, countless esteemed teachers had been invited.

Chu Qing was wearing a form-fitting suit. The designer had a clever idea, tying a red gauze to his waist that trailed to the floor.

The jacket was a plain white, but the shirt underneath was a fiery red, printed with swirling red clouds, as if symbolizing something, making people even more curious.

It seemed no one had ever dressed so plainly to perform “Red Gauze Shadow,” a song jokingly called a “flirtatious tease.”

However, as the contestant who had drawn the demon-king-level song, and with so much controversy surrounding him, Chu Qing was undoubtedly the most watched person.

At that moment, Chu Qing was sitting quietly and obediently in his seat, looking completely unfazed.

Buzz.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Chu Qing took it out, and as expected, it was Huo Li.

Huo Li was standing behind the cameramen with the other staff, his eyes, hidden under a hat, fixed on Chu Qing.

Huo Li: Nervous?

Chu Qing: A little

It was mainly because he was worried he would suddenly lose the feeling, since it wasn’t something he was familiar with.

Huo Li: Don’t be nervous.

Huo Li: Remember the feeling of me holding you that day.

Chu Qing: “…”

With a blank expression, Chu Qing closed WeChat and put his phone back in his pocket.

No way.